Before I start the post I will point out that the slideshow photos have nothing to do with the content of the post. They are just photos of George being INCREDIBLY handsome (as usual)!

Well, I am happy to report that two years ago TCM showed some good sense in celebrating George’s birthday by showing his films from 6 am until 8 pm that blessed day.I hope that they do that again this year. Personally I think they should have shown his films until midnight! Actually, I think they should show nothing but George’s films, just kidding! (not really, LOL) I also wonder who selected these particularly films and why. Among the films shown was “The King’s Thief”. Why this film? If TCM wanted to show George as Charles II, why not select a really good one and I am referring to “Forever Amber”. In “The King’s Thief” George had hardly any screen time, only at the beginning and the end of the film, and when he was on the screen he portrayed Charles II almost as a parody. I could almost see him laughing to himself! For the small amount of time George was on the screen one could hardly recognize him because they had put long, fat dreadlocks and a tiny little upturned mustache on him. What a waste of his natural beauty!
The second film shown was the 1960 movie “The Last Voyage”. George looked handsomely distinguished in the film, as one would expect. However, the role made no demands on George’s acting skills. The production date for the movie was mid-May to late Dec 1959. The film opened in New York on 19 Feb 1960 and in Los Angeles on 24 Feb 1960. The reason I add this info is that the movie was filmed shortly after George and Benita were married. According to the American Film Institute’s discussion of the film, it was photographed almost entirely in the Sea of Japan, off Osaka, using the retired French luxury liner Île de France. On pages 151 to 160 of his Memoirs George gives a very amusing description of the filming of the movie and his experience in a Japanese restaurant as well as his thoughts about the Japanese. I have a great photo of George playing the piano on the ship right next to a large hole in the floor through which the piano later fell. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Special Effects. It is an interesting film but was no challenge for George–one could almost visualize him yawning his way through. It does give us a chance, however, to see George handsomely striding about the deck of the ship and he really looks gorgeous in his captain’s uniform. 🙂